‘Systematic Torture and Killing’ — a New Report Points Fingers at Syria’s Assad

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Syrian National Movement

This image, included in the report, shows alleged marks left behind from strangulation. Exhibits of photographs in the report show signs of starvation, brutal beatings, strangulation, and other forms of torture and killing, according to the report

A shocking new report on the Syrian regime’s use of torture and starvation has been released by a team of renowned war-crimes prosecutors, threatening to upend Syrian peace talks scheduled to start on Wednesday in Montreux, Switzerland.

The 31-page confidential report, first disclosed by CNN and the Guardian newspaper, lays out in excruciating detail “direct evidence” of the “systematic torture and killing” of thousands of men between the ages of 20 and 40 who are thought to be victims of the regime’s notorious security agencies.

The report’s authors, David Crane and Desmond de Silva, both former chief prosecutors of the Special Court for Sierra Leone, and Geoffrey Nice, former lead prosecutor in the case against ex-Yugoslavian President Slobodan Milosevic, based their findings on tens of thousands of meticulously catalogued photos taken by a military-police photographer turned defector. For security reasons, this source is identified in the report only as Caesar.

CNN noted that it could not independently confirm the authenticity of the photographs or the documents, but said it relied on the integrity of the investigating team, which, in addition to the international criminal prosecutors, included a forensic pathologist, a forensic anthropologist and an expert in digital imaging. TIME could not independently verify the images or the report.

In an interview, de Silva told CNN that the photographs of emaciated bodies reminded him of Holocaust survivors. The yellowed skin and hollowed out bodies were not just a result of famine, he said, but indicated the use of starvation as a method of torture. They were “reminiscent of the pictures of those [who] were found still alive in the Nazi death camps after World War II,” he said.

The Syrian war has been defined in part by the prolific documentation of brutality, both by the regime and the opposition, on social-media sites like Twitter and YouTube. But rarely has such footage been so exhaustively analyzed. Of the nearly 27,000 photographs provided by Caesar, images of 835 deceased people were subjected to a more formal analysis, according to the report. Another sample of images of 150 separate individuals were also dissected in detail, producing excruciating descriptions of torture techniques.

Nor were the photographs considered in isolation, as often happens with documentation posted by various activist or proregime groups to social-media sites. They were accompanied by the photographer and official documentation from military hospitals, complete with stamps, signatures and dates. The corpses, note the report’s authors, were numbered and photographed, suggesting “the killings were systematic, ordered, and directed from above.” Most likely it was a bureaucratic effort to keep track of detainees in order to be able to give a plausible cause of death to inquiring families. “This evidence could underpin a charge of crimes against humanity — without any shadow of a doubt,” said de Silva, who told CNN that his team had been asked to put together its report by a British law firm funded by the government of Qatar.

A charge of crimes against humanity, if taken to the U.N. Security Council or the International Criminal Court, could have a profound effect on Syrian President Bashar Assad’s future, as well as that of Syria. The threat of a war-crimes trial could have the perverse effect of steeling Assad’s resolve to stay in power no matter the cost. The report’s unexpected release — just before peace talks commence — means that Assad’s alleged crimes will cast a shadow over the whole event, skewing an outcome that was already on edge. Even as CNN and the Guardian released their stories, the Syrian opposition was threatening to pull out of the talks, infuriated by a last-minute invitation by U.N. General Secretary Ban Ki-moon to Iran. The invitation was withdrawn on Monday after Iran said it did not back the 2012 political-transition deal that underpins the talks.

Now that the talks are going forward, says Oubai Shahbandar, adviser to the Syrian opposition coalition, the timing could actually work in the opposition’s favor. “This is unmistakable proof that the regime exists simply to maintain power,” Shahbandar says, “and will use whatever brutal means it has at its disposal to ensure Assad remains in power, which is why a political process is so crucial.”

Aryn Baker is the Middle East Bureau Chief for TIME, covering politics, society, culture, religion, the arts and the military in the greater Middle East, including Pakistan and Afghanistan. She currently resides in Beirut, Lebanon.

n an interview, de Silva told CNN that the photographs of emaciated bodies reminded him of Holocaust survivors"...of course, this is what Jihadist terrorists do, murder and starve people. The government of Syria surely had no othe r problems that to collect all this stuff as evidence against itself, these incessant lies and pro-terorist shilling of the media, it is so ridiculous and lowly. we dont buy it, cheers from India.

Why do these photos show up exactly at this moment? :) how convenient,
we are to believe that one single person ha access to all these
"archives" and took 55.000 photos of what could be victms of our
jihadist rebel buddies. Nobdy can say for sure who killed them and how
they died. All we have is psycholigical pressure in order to avoid fair
elections in Syria, where the fake "opposition" stands ZERO chances
after their crimes against religious and ethnic minorities and after the
destruction of the entire country at the hands of foreign jihadist
mercs. How lowly can it get, are we to expect another gas atack now -
"just in time"? hawhawhaw XD how stupid are these lies going to get, can
we even believe one word of our pro-jihadist fascist media outlets?????

The person hiding here behind the name DELIGHT is a declared
anti-Semite, expressing Neo-Nazi views in very long and tedious comments, even
trying to dominate the conversation with his/her reheated propaganda. Seems
clear he/she is being paid to send these obscenities - but why TIME is letting
it happen is beyond explanation. Is this magazine a willing platform for messages
that in many civilized countries are illegal and punishable? Or is TIME
Magazine too lazy and indifferent to block this hateful person? Or, are you too
afraid to disturb your Arab advertisers? In either case, it's shameful, cowardly
behavior in polar contrast to TIME's declared liberal, responsible, humanistic
pretentions.

According to the Obama team, of merry yodellers, the RED line was to be the point at which, a cork bullet would be fired to begin the war of all wars. The damn cork got stuck in the barrel of the gun. This was because Syria was using poison gas and this was a no-no, as it should have been.

Perhaps had Obama had the balls to go into Syria , torture and murder could have been prevented. But the buffoon's message was, as long as you do not use gas, it is okay to torture and murder. What a legacy this incapable and inert president leaves! But hey, this also applies to all the nations of the UN.

THIS IS THE BIGGEST MOST CUNNING DANGEROUS TERRORIST ORGANIZATION GROUP IN THE WORLD AND IN OUR TIME.

Among the most disturbing political phenomena of our times is the emergence in the newly created state of Israel of the "Freedom Party" (Tnuat Haherut), a political party closely akin in its organization, methods, political philosophy and social appeal to the Nazi and Fascist parties. It was formed out of the membership and following of the former Irgun Zvai Leumi, a terrorist, right-wing, chauvinist organization in Palestine.The current visit of Menachem Begin, leader of this party, to the United States is obviously calculated to give the impression of American support for his party in the coming Israeli elections, and to cement political ties with conservative Zionist elements in the United States. Several Americans of national repute have lent their names to welcome his visit. It is inconceivable that those who oppose fascism throughout the world, if correctly informed as to Mr. Begin's political record and perspectives, could add their names and support to the movement he represents.

the newly created state of Israel of the "Freedom Party" (Tnuat Haherut), a political party closely akin in its organization, methods, political philosophy and social appeal to the Nazi and Fascist parties.

If capitalized, is the name of the historic Italian Fascist political party. Benito Mussolini (Il Duce - "The Leader") was the Fascist founder and Prime Minister from 1922 to 1943, who built a cult of personality around himself using false media propaganda that he was always right, killed those relatively few unbrainwashed who opposed him, and unified Italy for an incompetent war to retake much of the old Roman empire. Apologists encapsulated their approval of his social control-freakery in the saying, "Il Duce made the trains run on time".

GEORGE WASHINGTON AND BENJAMIN FRANKLIN WERE NOT AROUND TO SEE THE SAME THING THIS CULT ( THE JEWS ) DID TO SPAIN AND PORTUGAL SAME THING THEY DID STRANGLING EUROPE AND GERMANY'S ECONOMY / HITLERS PUNISHMENT ( Their masters of destroying a governments structural integrity then plundering and destroying that institution ) NOW THEY ARE TRYING TO STRANGLE AMERICA. EVERYWHERE THIS CULT GOES THERE HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT DEATH AND DESTRUCTION. THEY ( the Jews ) DO HAVE A HISTORY THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO ERASE . THAT IS JUST NOT GOING TO HAPPEN WITH THE INTERNET TODAY.

I thought Syria had weapons of mass destruction. No, not quite right. It was Iraq that was harbouring terrorists for 9-11. No, not exactly. It was in Afghanistan that we had to send NATO war planes to protect civilians. No, it was Khadaffi in Libya who was harboring Al-Qaeda.Not that either?

Oh, well, we'll get the story right somehow, sometime. Meanwhile, there's not enough wars going around. How about invading Syria?

And this is surprising in what way? The Assad regime is run by and for Left fascists, which is why the Left fascists in the US have fought to protect it. Not the first time the socialist government in Damascus has done this sort of thing either. What did you expect?

We need to check the political motivation behind this report. This report has been funded by Qatar and that too at the time of Geneva 2 talks. Clearly the motivation is too blackmail the Syrian government for more concessions.

We need also to find out on the terrorism initiated by Qatar and Saudi Arabia - thousands perished as a result of their terrorist involvement. Any reports produce by Qatar or Saudi Arabia can be thrown to trash bin.

The New report will be recognized once falsification. But CNN has made a reservation to absolve themselves of responsibility: "CNN noted that it could not independently confirm the authenticity of the photographs or the documents"

Then there will be another falsification, but about this, few people remember.

That article is partly about the former United States outsourcing torture as a matter of national policy to Syria. Seems the Neocons who own the world are convinced we of the unwashed masses have a very short memory... ??

I don't see anyone complaining about the United States torture regime in which we waterboard, do sleep deprivation, put people in dog cages and put insects on them, physically slap and hit people and then slam them against walls. Its just convenient to point fingers at syria for being such a terrible country when we ourselves torture people all the time.

Don't pay attention to these obsessed-Israel-hater trolls' lies. These people only live to vent their anger on the Jewish people because of envy. They can't accept it that Israel not only survives the surrounding Arabs' frenzied, hate-filled attacks which are aided by dhimmitude Americans or pretenders posting on this page. The point here is about possible massacres by the Assad regime's front line soldiers (even for that 's far-fetched); we are not talking about conspiracies by the Israeli organizations or government, yet these born-haters of Israel could not fight the temptation that's consuming them always to lash out at the Jews, whose crimes include being geniuses in coming out and up with inventions and designs that are years ahead of even America itself. Uncle Sam pours in huge investments into the Jews' industries to help its only real ally in the Middle East to grow strong as well as help itself get its hands on the state-of-the-art weapons designed by Israeli engineers yet these dhimmitudes love to label these investments as pure aid to the Jews, and then whack Israel for being ungrateful. Why they hate other people so much I wonder? Let me guess. They come from Ireland or maybe England. The lands of dhimmitues. Their only goals are to get into good books of the Muslims; going against the Jews is one sure way of accomplishing that.

THIS IS THE BIGGEST MOST CUNNING DANGEROUS TERRORIST ORGANIZATION GROUP IN THE WORLD AND IN OUR TIME.

Among the most disturbing political phenomena of our times is the emergence in the newly created state of Israel of the "Freedom Party" (Tnuat Haherut), a political party closely akin in its organization, methods, political philosophy and social appeal to the Nazi and Fascist parties. It was formed out of the membership and following of the former Irgun Zvai Leumi, a terrorist, right-wing, chauvinist organization in Palestine.The current visit of Menachem Begin, leader of this party, to the United States is obviously calculated to give the impression of American support for his party in the coming Israeli elections, and to cement political ties with conservative Zionist elements in the United States. Several Americans of national repute have lent their names to welcome his visit. It is inconceivable that those who oppose fascism throughout the world, if correctly informed as to Mr Begin's political record and perspectives, could add their names and support to the movement he represents.

EVER WONDER, WHEN YOU WAKE UP HERE IN AMERICA TO CHECK THE INTERNET NEWS AND POST LIKE POLITICO , CRAIGSLIST AND NOW MOTHER JONES, DAILY BEAST,SLATE ETC.WE AMERICANS ARE INUNDATED WITH WITH ALL THESE BRAINWASHING HATE POST? ------ WHILE WE ARE SLEEPING THE VAMPIRES ISRAELS FASCIST NAZI TERRORIST EIVIL CHILDREN ARE WIDE AWAKE ( ISRAEL IS 10 HOURS AHEAD OF THE UNITED STATES ). POSTING HATE FOR AMERICANS . SO AROUND 11 AM CENTRAL U.S. TIME THEY START TO RETIRE THIS IS WHEN THE SWITCH FOR AUTOMATIC HATE FOR AMERICA TROLLS ARE TURNED UP.

Albert Einstein, who was a great humanitarian and peace activist in addition to being one of the greatest scientists of all time. In his landmark letter to the New York Times in 1948, Einstein clearly and candidly explained why the leaders of Israel were not to be trusted and did not deserve money or support from Americans, including American Jews who believe in equality and democracy for all human beings. You can see a scanned image of the Einstein Letter by clicking the hyperlink. The letter was written by Albert Einstein, Hannah Arendt, Sidney Hook and more than 20 other prominent Jewish intellectuals, to alert Americans and the larger world to the dangers represented by the emergence of racism, fascism, terrorism and religious fanaticism among the Zionist leadership of the newly-formed state of Israel. The letter accurately predicted some of the terrible results we see today. I have annotated the letter with [bracketed comments] to help readers understand how the "Einstein Letter" relates to the present situation.

the newly created state of Israel of the "Freedom Party" (Tnuat Haherut), a political party closely akin in its organization, methods, political philosophy and social appeal to the Nazi and Fascist parties.

If capitalized, is the name of the historic Italian Fascist political party. Benito Mussolini (Il Duce - "The Leader") was the Fascist founder and Prime Minister from 1922 to 1943, who built a cult of personality around himself using false media propaganda that he was always right, killed those relatively few unbrainwashed who opposed him, and unified Italy for an incompetent war to retake much of the old Roman empire. Apologists encapsulated their approval of his social control-freakery in the saying, "Il Duce made the trains run on time".

@יהודהאלידעbecause Sir, in a Western democracy everyoen can expess his opinion. To say that Israel supports Al-Q. in Syria is not "antisemitism"....If you dont like this, that people can have different opinions, please move to North Korea.

PRETTY CUNNING OF ZIONIST ISRAEL AND THEIR ZIONIST CHILDREN, MANIPULATIVE CUNNING EVILS , FIRST THEY INFILTRATE AMERICAS GOVERNMENT / SPIES . TAKE CONTROL OF THE MEDIA , PURCHASE OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS AFTER TEARING DOWN SAFETY NETS IN OUR GOVERNMENTS DEMOCRATIC FOUNDATION OUR FORE FATHERS PUT UP FOR OUR PROTECTION . BRAINWASH THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WITH THEIR BOUGHT AND PAID FOR MEDIA AND ELECTED OFFICIALS, INTO THINKING THEY ARE GODS CHOSEN CHILDREN, BRAINWASH THE AMERICAN PEOPLE INTO DOING THEIR EVIL KILLING FOR THEM. GOT THE PICTURE, IF YOU DIDN'T THE AMERICAN PEOPLE DID . http://www.american-integrity.tumblr.com WATCH YOUR BACK ISRAEL AND YOUR INBRED IGNORANT UNETHICAL CHILDREN. AMERICANS HAVE YOUR NUMBER. apocalyptic death cult. YOU F__ __ ING SCUM OF THE EARTH WHAT WOULD YOU CALL JUST TOOK PLACE IN THE LAST DECADE. THROUGHOUT HISTORY ANYWHERE YOU INBRED ZIONIST HAVE GONE THERE HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT DEATH AND DESTRUCTION .

@steve4716 We also outsourced the slaughter of Iranians to Saddam. That also worked out so well for Rumsfeld who flew to Baghdad and publicly embraced Saddam. Not even hitting a US destroyer with a missile disturbed that cosy neo-con relationship. But when Saddam messed with Kuwait, who had paid more to purchase American foreign policy, the neo-Cons honored their contracts and rose up in indignation at their own creature, Saddam.

@DavidRubinMacrermott Delusional great propaganda, you would make a great secretary or clerk with your writing. By the way jew / jewish is a religion not a ethnicity. But it is great propaganda. The jews are the masters of deception they are definitely smart and cunning when it comes to advertising. The jews are also book smart but dumb and stupid otherwise. I want to know what major invention have the jews invented? Pardon the grammar I am no secretary and I do not take dictation.

As I said a majority of jews are as dumb as a door knob / dunces , do not forget to take out the garbage before you leave the office

American Israel Public Affairs Committee ----- WARNING ------ (AIPAC,) TROLLS ARE IN FULL GEAR ,

READ A MAJORITY OF THESE COMMENTS ON THE INTERNET . THIS IS NOT AMERICANS WRITING THESE COMMENTS, AMERICANS ARE INSTILLED WITH VALUES AND INTEGRITY http://www.american-integrity.tumblr.com THIS IS AIPAC AT IT'S BEST INCITING HATE AND RACE MONGERING,, HATE FOR AMERICA AND TRYING TO DIVIDE AMERICANS. THIS IS AIPIC'S TACTIC RACE , RACE AND MONGERING MORE RACE HATE. DIVISION AND MORE HATE / DIVIDE AND CONQUER. LIBERAL HATE, CONSERVATIVE HATE , RELIGIOUS HATE , DEMOCRAT HATE , REPUBLICAN HATE AND MORE HATE FOR AMERICA. THROUGHOUT HISTORY EVERYWHERE THESE ZIONIST HAVE GONE THERE HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT DEATH AND DESTRUCTION. DIVIDE AND CONQUER .

b) Be the MOST DOMINANT GROUP in EVERY COUNTRY they exist NOT by numbers, but by being the MOST HIGHLY EDUCATED, HIGHEST EARNING group in conjunction with HINDUS, WHITE CHRISTIANS, & OTHER NON-MUSLIMS ((UNLIKE their Welfare dependent MUSLIM adversaries).

c) Grab all the NOBEL PRIZES for themselves leaving NOTHING for their jihadist MUSILM adversaries.

e) BUY-UP all the land in their OWN PROMISED LAND (of JUDEA & SUMARIA) from the "so-called" PALESTINIAN ARABS who subsist on HAND-OUTS from the International community (MAINLY the US & EUROPE whom they HATE!).

f) Invite & absorb all people with even REMOTE JEWISH ANCESTRY (with even just one grand-parent being a Jew) into ISRAEL IRRESPECTIVE of their race, skin color or cultural heritage,

g) SPRING BACK from near EXTINCTION after the HOLOCAUST - Inspired & led by the GRAND MUFTI of JERUSALEM who led HITLER's NOTORIOUS Balkan regiment consisting of over 30,000 MUSLIM SOLDIERS who committed MOST OF THE MOST HEINOUS ACTS against the Jewish people that are otherwise attributed to Hitler!!!

h) RE-SURRECT their long FORGOTTEN language HEBREW, and make it the COMMON LANGUAGE for all Jews & UNGRATEFUL ARABS in Israel.

And FINALLY and MOST GRUDGINGLY (for some)

i) Convert that near waste land with meagre resources into a VIBRANT ECONOMY & A DESERT OASIS (UNLIKE the richly endowed OIL RICH MUSLIM NATIONS with tiny populations & scores of PRINCES &others!).

WONDER, if anyone of these signify DUMBNESS or STUPIDITY as you said!!!!!!!!!

@delight@DavidRubinMacrermott Caucasus Khazar has a long and rich history, mostly a murderous one. But the religion of Judaism has nothing to do with zionism, zionism is a political construct. People like Irv Rubin are not religious jews. They are aggressive Zionists at war with the world, while always playing the victim. I prefer to label them Neocons. BTW I'd suggest reading Shlomo Sand and Norman Finkelstein to get a true picture of who and whom these people are, because they are not really "jews"... They are messianic radical extremists willing to kill for what they think they believe in, and its nothing to do with any real religion. As Ray McGovern said, "Three minority extremist groups - the militant fundamentalist Islamists exemplified at the far edge by Al Qaeda, activist elements among America's 'reborn Christians' and Neo-conservatives, and the most inflexible hard-line Zionists from Israel - have emerged as dangerously destabilizing actors in world politics. Working perversely to reinforce each other's ideological excesses, they have managed to drown out mainstream voices from all sides. Each has the aim of changing the world according to its own individual vision."

GEORGE WASHINGTON AND BENJAMIN FRANKLIN WERE NOT AROUND TO SEE THE SAME THING THIS CULT ( THE JEWS ) DID TO SPAIN AND PORTUGAL SAME THING THEY DID STRANGLING EUROPE AND GERMANY'S ECONOMY / HITLERS PUNISHMENT ( Their masters of destroying a governments structural integrity then plundering and destroying that institution ) NOW THEY ARE TRYING TO STRANGLE AMERICA. EVERYWHERE THIS CULT GOES THERE HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT DEATH AND DESTRUCTION. THEY ( the Jews ) DO HAVE A HISTORY THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO ERASE . THAT IS JUST NOT GOING TO HAPPEN WITH THE INTERNET TODAY.

@delight@AmitAtlantaUSA FORGOT TO ADD STEVE JOBS FATHER WAS SYRIAN / CHRISTIAN ( NO FREKIN WAY AN INBRED JEW ) AS POSITIVE AS THE POPE IS CATHOLIC. AS FOR JOBS MOTHER SHE WAS AN AMERICAN CATHOLIC.. NOT AN INBRED AMERICAN JEW.

MAKE SURE YOU ALSO TAKE OUT THE GARBAGE FROM THE BATHROOMS.

You know you need to stop that inbreeding it is bad for both your brains the one above your shoulder and the one between you legs.

@AmitAtlantaUSA@delight A major invention like the computer !!!!!!!! by the way dunce, jew / jewish is a religion and if you want religion to be a base of your ethnicity. The person that made the greatest impact / invention was an American ( Steve Jobs ) and his biological father was Syrian!!!!!!!!

You know you need to stop that inbreeding it is bad for both your brains the one above your shoulder and the one between you legs.

insecurities " Gods Chosen Ones " seen you boys in the locker room . not good !! lets put it this way you cannot afford to be circumcised , " WHAT A CRUEL EVIL GOD " and then you wonder why your girls are never happy. That is what happens with inbreeding . it gets smaller and smaller and you get more and more ignorant.

@AmitAtlantaUSA@delight@DavidRubinMacrermottAs i said this inbreeding cult is great at advertising / propaganda. for over 2000 years with this social control-freakery you would think they would have smarten up. dumb and stupid as a door knob. i am still waiting for the answer for my question. I want to know what major invention have the jews invented, your writing is really top notch, you would do great clerical work.

Try not to come back with another dunce answer. I know it will be difficult. i am sure it will take an inbred terrorist clerk a while to try to come up with something. just make sure you take out the garbage before you leave the office.

And, inspite of TREMENDOUS EFFORTS by CNN/Time's "so-called" moderate Muslim Mr. FAREED ZAKARIA to mislead, deceive, falsify data by PORTRAYING Muslims as high achievers all over the world, accusing the West, India, Russia and the entire non-Muslim world for UNFAIRLY BEING BIASED AGAINST MUSLIMS the reality is as just as what we know, and read everyday about the Muslim world incl. those welfare dependent, jihadist minded Muslims in the West !!!

@steve4716@delight@DavidRubinMacrermott You can spin this propaganda all you want This social control-freakery has been going on for hundreds of years if not thousands with this inbreeding jewish / religious cult.